5 Can’t-Miss Things to do in Baños, Ecuador

Baños de Agua Santa, often referred to as just Baños, is a vibrant town in Ecuador known for its natural beauty and fun adventure activities. It’s located in between the Andes mountains and the Amazon Rainforest, making for a unique landscape with stunning mountains, lush green valleys, waterfalls and volcano hot springs. The mix of nature and cultural things to do in Baños makes it an essential stop on any Ecuador roadtrip!

The best thing about Banos is that there is something for everyone to do. If you’re an adreneline junkie, Baños offers white-water rafting, canyoning, and zip-lining tours. If you want to relax, you can visit some of the famous hot springs, heated by the geothermal energy of the nearby Tungurhua Volcano. And if you just want to enjoy the beauty of nature and get some Insta-worthy pics, there are a few parks with amazing viewpoints and photo-ops.

This blog post includes the 5 best things to do in Baños, Ecuador, along with how to get there, where to stay and how long to stay. If you want to learn more about visiting the beautiful country of Ecuador, including a detailed 10-day Ecuador roadtrip itinerary, check out some of my other blog posts!

• Epic 10-day Ecuador Roadtrip Itinerary
• Honest Review of The Secret Garden Cotopaxi

Getting to Baños, Ecuador

We visited Baños during a 10-day Ecuador roadtrip around the Andes region of the country. If you rent a car like we did, Banos is easily accessible from Quito, being about a 3 hour drive. If you are making the drive, I highly recommend you make stops on the way to see Cotopaxi and Quilotoa.

If you are not renting a car, there is a bus that will take you from the Terrestre Quito bus station to Baños for about $10. I have not personally taken buses in Ecuador so I’m not sure how safe they are. From what I have heard, the buses are reliable, but there are quite a lot of pickpockets so you should travel light and keep your things close to you at all times.

The easiest and safest option, especially if you are traveling solo, is to visit Baños on a guided tour from Quito. Here are some great, highly-rated tours on GetYourGuide. I think the 2-Day Baños tour is particularly great because it stops in Cotopaxi and Quilotoa on the way to Baños, goes to a few of the must-see places on this list and gives you a bit of free time to explore the city of Baños.

How long should you stay in Baños, Ecuador?

Although a guided tour is great if you have limited time in Ecuador, I highly recommend staying overnight in Baños to experience everything there is to do and see.

We stayed in Baños for 2 nights which was enough time to do everything on this list. However, I think 3 days would have been ideal to be able to slow down and experience everything the town has to offer.

Where to stay in Baños, Ecuador

Banos offers many different accommodation options, from secluded hotels with incredible river views, to affordable hostels close to the city center.

Hotels outside of the city

Aldea Real Eco Friendly
We stayed at this beautiful hotel that was about a 10 minute drive outside of Baños. Our room had a balcony, a hammock, and a stunning view of the river. There was a delicious breakfast included as well.

La Casa Verde Eco Guest House
Another hotel about a 10-minute drive outside of Banos, with rooms featuring balconies and river views.

Hotels in the City

Rústic Quinta La Aurora or La Floresta Hotel
These hotels are great options if you don’t have a rental car and want to stay in the city of Baños. They are within walking distance to restaurants and a some of the attractions. Both hotels also include breakfast.

Budget Friendly Hostels

Great Hostels or Erupcion Art Hotel & Hostel
If you’re traveling to Ecuador on a budget, these two hostels both cost about $10 per night, are located right in the city center, and have great reviews on HostelWorld!

Things to do in Baños, Ecuador

Termas de la Virgen

Baños gets it’s name from the natural hot springs in the area, which are heated by the Tungurahua Volcano. Therefore, you must visit the famous Termas de la Virgen, which is located right in the heart of the city. It has a few pools that vary in temperature, from warm to hot.

What makes this place extra special is its location right next to the Cascada de la Virgen, a waterfall that is illuminated at night. Our favorite part of the Termas was the showers that spray ice cold water directly from the waterfall, so you can switch from the ice cold shower to the warm hot springs.

Tips: Termas de la Virgen costs $4 to enter and there are lockers available to secure your belongings. Swimming caps that cover your hair are required to enter the pools, and you can buy them right outside the entrance if you don’t have one. And don’t forget your bathing suit and towel!

Paillon del Diablo

Paillon del Diablo, which translates to Devil’s Cauldron, is Ecuador’s most famous waterfall and a must-visit while in Baños. It’s a tall and powerful waterfall, and when you get up close you can really feel and hear the incredible force of the water.

There’s a network of bridges, walkways and staircases that allow you to view the waterfall from multiple angles and get close, with one walkway bringing you behind the waterfall.

Tips: Bring a poncho if you want to get close to the waterfall but stay dry, because the spray is unavoidable. And definitely visit early in the morning to avoid the mid-day crowds that arrive on day-trips from Quito.

Casa del Arbol

Located high in the mountains surrounding Baños, Casa de Arbol is a small adventure park offering stunning views and some fun activities. It’s main attraction is the swing, which throws you right over the mountains and makes it feel like you’re flying over the Andes. You’ll also find some smaller swings and a zip line, along with lots of Insta-worthy photo opportunities.

Tips: It cost a few dollars to enter and it’s small so you only need about an hour to explore. To get there without a car, you can take a taxi from town.

White Water Rafting

The Pastaza River, which runs near Baños, is a great spot for white water rafting and offers a thrilling way to experience the area’s natural beauty. The river’s rapids range from Class III to Class IV, which make for an exciting yet doable rafting adventure, even for beginners.

We did this white water rafting tour and it was one of my favorite experiences ever! My boyfriend and I had never been white water rafting before, but it was so fun and exhilarating. We were put with a great group of people around our age, and the guide took us through some crazy rough rapids that he knew we could handle. The tour included lunch, as well as photos and videos of the adventure, which was a great bonus! Overall it was a great introduction to rafting and the best thing we did in Baños!

Tips: Wear quick-dry clothing or a bathing suit to wear under your wetsuit. And bring a change of clothes for after the rafting, since you won’t want to be wet while eating lunch and traveling about 1 hour back to Baños.

El Bosque Encantado

This “Enchanted Forest” in Banos is a whimsical walk through experience with displays and photo ops set up for different fantasy worlds. The forest includes themed areas for elves, fairies, witches and Harry Potter. Along the way you’ll also find a tarot card reader, a spiritual cleanser, and opportunities to buy snacks and souvenirs.

Tips: Visit El Bosque Encantado as the sun is setting so you can see the displays as they are lighting up at night. It’s a fun evening activity to do before or after dinner, after a day of exploring in nature.

Other Tours and Activities in Baños

With Baños being the adventure capital of Ecuador, you’ll find other fun activities like zip lining and canyoning. Check out these tours on GetYourGuide!

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